The other cathedral of Barcelona

by Victor Grigore, Webphoto.ro

Though it is six centuries old and still hosts the seat of the local Catholic bishop, this is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when one hears the phrase “the cathedral of Barcelona”. This is of course due to the fame achieved by Sagrada Familia, thanks to Gaudi’s genius.

The two churches are not far away, over Avenida Diagonal, one of the most important boulevards of the city. The cathedral is as classic as the Spanish Gothic gets, with a great resemblance with the greater cathedral of Seville. The most valuable architectural elements, the monumental portals and the vaults, are very similar to the Andaluz “sister”.

The cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia respects the tradition of many places of worship of being built on top of previous temples. In this case, the evolution starts with a Romanesque church of 1298. The massive Gothic facade, 40 m wide, we see today is much more recent, from the beginning of XX century. The 70 meters high dome is the work of architect August Font i Carreras. The cathedral has 17 chapels, an interior yard (cloister) and a spectacular crypt for saint Eulalia.